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The Bellevue College Board of Trustees is composed of six members, appointed by the governor. Each member serves a five-year term and must reside within the college’s district boundaries.

The Board’s duties include setting the college’s strategic direction, establishing policy for the college, and approving budgets. Meetings are usually held on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m., approximately every six weeks during the academic year and are open to the public. For additional information about the Board of Trustees, please contact the President’s Office at Bellevue College, (425) 564-2302.

Members of the Board of Trustees

Lisa Chin

Chair

Lisa Chin was appointed to the Bellevue College Board of Trustees by Gov. Christine Gregoire. She was re-appointed in 2016 and her five-year term of office continues through September 2021.

Dr. Chin is the president/CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of King County (BGCKC), headquartered in Seattle. Prior to joining BGCKC in August 2016, Lisa was founder and executive director of Year Up Puget Sound, a job training and internship program that helps low-income young adults with education and career opportunities. She has also served as the executive director of Jubilee Women’s Center in Seattle, a provider of transitional housing for homeless women. ​In addition, Lisa is a partner in Social Venture Partners, having served as Board Chair in 2008-09.

Merisa Heu-Weller

Vice Chair

Merisa Heu-Weller was appointed to the BC Board of Trustees in November 2013 by Gov. Jay Inslee. Her five-year term of office continues through November 2018.

Ms. Heu-Weller is an attorney for Microsoft, specializing in global employment and public policy. Previously, she served as an employment and labor lawyer with Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, and was a law clerk at the Washington State Supreme Court to the Honorable Mary Fairhurst. Ms. Heu-Weller served on the Friends of Youth Board of Directors, supporting the organization’s mission to support youth and their families with a range of social services. She has also volunteered with Rainier Scholars, an educational pipeline program in Seattle, and helped launch The Learning Seed, a non-profit foundation providing scholarships for high school and college students.

Greg Dietzel

Greg Dietzel was appointed to the Bellevue College Board of Trustees in May of 2017 by Gov. Jay Inslee. His term of office continues through September of 2017.

Mr. Dietzel served as the Senior State Executive for IBM until his recent retirement, responsible for all operations and employees in the State of Washington. He currently serves on the Board of 501 Commons, which helps over 1,000 Washington non-profits achieve their missions. He has served on the Board of Trustees for Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the King County Information Technology Strategic Advisory Council. Mr. Dietzel is a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Boy Scouts of America.

Education profile: B.S., New Mexico State University.

Richard Fukutaki

Richard Fukutaki was appointed to the Bellevue College Board of Trustees in August of 2015 by Gov. Jay Inslee. His five-year term of offices continues through September of 2019.

Mr. Fukutaki is the managing director of Sun Break Group, LLC, which is a consulting practice focusing on startup and early stage company business plans and got to market strategies. Previously, he served as Vice President/General Manager at Wizards of the Coast. As an active member of the community, Fukutaki serves on the board for Bellevue Girls Lacrosse Club, is a service day volunteer at Jubilee Reach Center, and leads Sunday school classes at Bellevue Presbyterian Church.

Education profile: A.B., University of California, Berkeley; M.B.A., University of Southern California.

Steve Miller

Steve Miller was appointed to the BC Board of Trustees in 2005 and reappointed in 2010. He served as Chair for 2009-10, 2014-15 and 2015-16 and as Vice Chair for 2008-09, 2013-14 and 2016-17.

Mr. Miller is a partner in the Seattle-based firm of Cowan, Miller & Lederman, which specializes in immigration and naturalization law. Before joining Cowan & Miller in 1990, Steve served as a King County deputy prosecuting attorney, a Fulbright Fellow lecturer at the University of Indonesia, an associate for a major Seattle law firm, deputy director of the King County Department of Planning and Community Development, and legal counsel to the King County Council. As an active volunteer in support of education, Steve has served three times as president of the Bellevue School Board and, in 2000, was co-chair of the successful state campaign for Initiative 728, the class-size initiative.

Michael Cha

Student TrusteeMichael Cha was appointed to the Bellevue College Board of Trustees as the student trustee by Gov. Jay Inslee in July of 2017 for a one-year term. Mr. Cha has been an active student at Bellevue College since 2015, founding several clubs, participating in campus events, and serving in student government. Michael graduated from International High School in Bellevue, Washington in 2014. He brings a thoughtful and informed student perspective to the Board of Trustees.